Wayne Rooney would be the perfect manager to revive Everton

There is a lot of romance in the idea of Wayne Rooney returning to Everton to become manager – and I am in love with the thought – but it makes a lot of business sense, too.

After Rafael Benítez’s brief and, ultimately, unhappy spell, the club need to reconnect with the fans and the appointment of a hero is a good way of going about it. It is fair to say a lot of the fanbase were not enamoured of the appointment of a former Liverpool manager, so going in the opposite direction would be a smart move to get the supporters back on side.

For me the dream would be Duncan Ferguson as assistant alongside Rooney. When Rooney came through at Everton, Ferguson was the one who looked after him; he would drive him to training and act as a protector on the pitch, although also don the boxing gloves because they would spar together in the club’s gym. Rooney idolised Ferguson growing up and they became good friends during their playing days, a bond that could help get Everton back to their best. Ferguson knows how to get the best out of Rooney – he knew his teammate was at his best on the pitch when angry, so would get him fired up before matches. Having an assistant who knows how a manager ticks is integral and this seems a perfect match.

Although Rooney does not have a vast array of experience as a manager, he has shown some very promising signs at Derby. Despite all the struggles going on around the club, the performances and results have been impressive with a relatively young squad which he has galvanised in tough circumstances. Rooney has held his own in a storm, a good sign that he can deal with anything.

There are never guarantees that a great player will become a good manager. Rooney, however, will have picked up plenty down